Ruth St. Denis

Ruth St. Denis, born Ruth Dennis in Newark, New Jersey, was an American pioneer of modern dance who introduced Eastern themes to the art form and opened pathways for women in dance. Her early training came from exercises based on François Delsarte’s system, learned as a child on her family’s New Jersey farm. A pivotal moment occurred when she saw the Delsarte advocate Genevieve Stebbins perform The Dance of Day, which she later called the true beginning of her artistic life. After a modest debut as a skirt dancer in 1894, she toured with producer David Belasco, absorbing his skill for theatrical atmosphere.

Debut

In 1904, while on tour in Buffalo, a poster for Egyptian Deities cigarettes depicting the goddess Isis inspired her to create dances expressing mysticism, immersing her in Oriental philosophies. She adopted the stage name St. Denis and debuted her first solo, Radha, in 1906, drawing from Hindu mythology and set to music from Léo Delibes’ opera Lakmé. In 1909, she performed a Salome dance on Broadway during the “Salomania” craze, with one reviewer noting she outdid all other Salomes. Though her choreography was not culturally accurate, it conveyed her belief in dance as spiritual expression.

Denishawn

In 1914, dancer Ted Shawn became her student, then her artistic partner and husband. Together they co-founded the Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts in 1915, teaching ballet without shoes, ethnic dance, Dalcroze Eurhythmics, and Delsarte gymnastics. Notable students included Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey.

Later career

Denishawn created works like Tillers of the Soil and Ishtar of the Seven Gates. After Denishawn dissolved around 1930, St. Denis continued independently, founding Adelphi University’s pioneering dance program in 1938 and later the School of Nataya for Oriental dance. She taught for years at her California studio. Her signature solos are still performed, and she was inducted into the National Museum of Dance Hall of Fame in 1987.